Runaway Love
by Emma Brown
Summary: What if Rory decided to take Jess up on his offer in 4x21? Will living with Jess be everything Rory dreamed of or will her life start to spiral out of control? Rated T. Lit. Some JJ.
1. Chapter 1

_Runaway Love_ by Emma Brown

Rated T+ (mature themes will be present but nothing too too graphic that this requires M)

Ships: Rory/Jess with some Luke/Lorelai

**Summary: What if Rory agreed to run away with Jess at the end of 4x21? Is living with Jess everything Rory hoped for or is it just causing her life to spiral out of control?**

* * *

Chapter One

"You're packed! You're stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect! You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this. You can count on me now! I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now! You can!"

She remained staring at her shoes, unable to process the words that Jess was so passionately stating before her. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest that she was sure he could hear it. She felt her palms grow slick with sweat and she quickly wiped them on her skirt.

He stepped closer to her and finally she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it too. I know you do."

It was true. She couldn't argue with him. His brown eyes were staring into her, searching her face for an answer. She bit her lower lip and let out a sigh.

"Please say you'll come with me," he pleaded, sounding more desperate than she had ever heard him sound before.

Quickly, she drew up a pro/con list in her head. Cons: He could break her heart again, her mother would surely flip out, Dean would hate her-if he didn't already and she could potentially ruin everything with everyone she loved dearly just by choosing to go with Jess. Pros: It was Jess. The man she was desperately in love with. All her life she had been a 'listen to your brain not your heart' kind of girl but this time, she knew she had to make an exception. For him.

"Okay," she whispered.

His eyes widened. "What?" he asked, his voice not hiding any surprise he felt at that moment.

She grinned slightly and leaned her head slightly to the right. "I said okay. I'll go with you."

He smiled. A large, genuine smile and in one fluid motion he walked towards her, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She had missed the feel of his lips.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes, the smile washed away from his face.

"What?" she asked concerned with his sudden serious expression.

"I need to know this is what you really want." He said. "I don't want you to regret this later."

She leaned in again and captured his mouth with hers. Slowly, delicately, she opened her mouth slightly and licked his bottom lip with her tongue. A moan escaped the back of his throat as their tongues met and moved in each other's mouths. They pulled away a few moments later and she stepped back, only slightly.

"I'm sure." She said. "I want you Jess. I want to be with you."

He smiled and nodded. He looked around at all her boxes and rubbed his hands together. "We should get your things out to my car."

"Will it all fit?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough." He bent down and picked up a box, wincing slightly under the weight. "Jeeze, what do you have in here?"

"My books," she answered simply, picking up a box labelled _Toiletries_.

"My car might not run with all this added weight," he joked.

She smiled as she watched him walk out of her suite. "A little help with the door," he called from down the hall. She nodded to herself as she walked out to help him. She was definitely making the right decision.

* * *

Rory followed Jess' car down the highway towards New York. Her mind was racing with the events that had transpired that night. Was she actually running away with Jess? A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of what her mother was going to say. She was sure World War III was going to break out, but she didn't care. All she cared about right now was the man driving the car in front of her. She would worry about everything else later.

After driving for over an hour, Rory followed Jess' car down the clustered streets of Manhattan. She watched him pull into a spot on the side of the road and she pulled up next to him. Jess rolled down his window and called over "There's a spot up ahead, grab it before somebody else does."

Rory nodded and quickly sped off towards the open spot at the end of the block. Putting her car in park, she let out a sigh and looked at her surroundings. A large, seedy looking building loomed next to her and a group of sketchy looking people were hanging out outside of it.

"We'll only stay here for the night." said Jess, walking up to her car. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. "Sorry,"

Unbuckling her seatbelt, Rory stepped out of the car and stretched her legs. "You live here?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, but like I said...it's only for the night. We'll get a hotel room tomorrow before looking for a place to stay, just the two of us. I want to pack up some of my stuff too."

Rory nodded and followed him towards his car where half her boxes rested.

"If we're going to be on the move again tomorrow, we can just leave my things in the car."

"Eh, I don't know if that's such a good idea. This isn't the best part of town, Ror."

Rory glanced at the odd looking group of people standing outside of Jess' building and nodded. "Maybe you're right."

Quickly, the pair of them started unloading boxes from both their cars and brought them into the building. Rory saw that the building inside wasn't as scary looking as it was outside. The hallways were large and spacious and it was actually very quiet, unlike the apartment building complex she had been in when her mother and Sookie had to search for Madeline and Louise after The Bangles concert three years ago.

Her thoughts went back to her mother, who was probably getting ready for her arrival tomorrow morning. Her heart skipped a beat but she shook her head and followed Jess down the long hallway towards his room.

"Home Sweet Home," he commented dryly as he set a box down and retrieved his keys from inside his pocket.

"It's not so bad," said Rory, gripping her box tightly. He grinned at her and opened his door.

They stepped inside and Rory scanned the room before her. There were mattresses spread across the floor, an old chair in the corner and a small shelf that housed many books-that corner, Rory assumed, was Jess'.

"Still think that?" he asked.

Rory turned to look at him and placed her box down on the floor. She shyly leaned in and kissed him quickly. "Yes," she said before pulling away.

"Weirdo," he said affectionately, playing with the tip of her hair. "Did I mention how much I like your hair this length?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I do. It suits you."

They leaned in again.

Another hour and a few more kisses later, all of Rory's boxes were stored away in Jess' loft.

"Where are your roommates tonight?" asked Rory, staring at the unoccupied mattresses.

"Who knows?"

"Aren't they your friends?"

"We share the rent and that's about it."

"Ah,"

"You know, we can find a hotel room tonight to stay in..."

Rory smirked at him. "And load all my boxes back into our cars? No thank you."

He grinned. "Are you sure?"

"Jess, I swear-I don't mind it here."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you lived here," he muttered. "We'll get up early tomorrow and leave. Let me just pack a few of my things."

Rory nodded and watched him pull out a few boxes from a closet. He began tossing in books and clothes that were randomly lying around the floor. She wondered, briefly, if he was accidently tossing his roommates clothes into the boxes.

"Are you going to call your mom?" he asked.

She sucked in a breath. "Not tonight," she answered. "It's already past midnight. She's probably asleep. I'll call her in the morning."

Jess stood up straight and looked at her. "What are you going to tell her?"

"The truth, I guess." answered Rory, sitting on Jess' mattress. "She's going to be furious."

Jess sighed. "Listen, we have to figure a few things out."

Rory nodded. "Yes, we do."

"I'm guessing you don't want to drop out of Yale any time soon."

"I wasn't planning on it..."

"And you still have those Friday night flagellations to attend, right?"

Rory laughed and hit his arm. "Correct,"

He sighed and sat down next to her. "We should find a place near Yale."

"What? But you love New York..."

He shrugged. "I love you more,"

"Jess," she breathed her heart swelling. They moved closer and their lips met. Their kiss started off slow and simple but quickly became passionate. Their tongues were moving inside each other's mouth, their hands groping at clothing, itching to touch skin. Rory felt his hands running up and down her sides and a shiver went down her spine.

They leaned down, now both laying on their sides. Rory couldn't comprehend anything going on around her-just the feel of Jess' hands on her body and the feel of his lips sucking at hers.

Suddenly, Jess pulled away and Rory whimpered at their loss of contact.

"We should stop," he said, looking into her face.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes searching his face. "Don't...don't you want to..."

"You know I do...more than you know but..." he sighed. "I don't know when my roommates will be coming back and I don't want our first time to be in this loft. It should...it _needs _to be special."

Rory smiled up at him and touched the side of his face. "You old softy," she teased.

He grinned and kissed her hand. "Yeah, don't tell anybody."

"I won't," she whispered before leaning up and lightly kissing him again. "Where's the shower?"

Jess sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Over there," he pointed. "We don't have the greatest water pressure."

Rory opened up a box and pulled out a pair of pajamas. "I'm sure I'll manage." She opened up another box and pulled out her soap and shampoo and walked towards the bathroom.

"There is a clean towel on the hook," Jess called. "It's mine, so it's safe to use."

Rory grinned over her shoulder and nodded. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

* * *

The hot water felt great on her aching body. Carrying her heavy, book-filled boxes up the steps to Jess' sixth floor room showed Rory how out of shape she really was. As she soaped up her body, Rory once again thought about her mother. She wondered if she would drive to New York and drag Rory home herself...or maybe she would get Luke to do it. The inn was opening in just a few days...her mother didn't need this distraction and stress added into her life.

Sighing, Rory shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. She dried her body fast and slipped into her pajamas. When she exited the bathroom, Rory saw that Jess had finished packing his belongings and was dressed in a pair of pajama pants and nothing else. His toned chest and muscular arms made her stop in her tracks and her heart skip a beat.

"How was the shower?" he asked, tossing an extra pillow on his mattress.

"Um, fine." She answered, tearing her eyes away from the trail of hair that started at his navel and disappeared somewhere beneath his pants. "The water pressure wasn't so bad. It reminded me of the shower in the downstairs bathroom at my house in Stars Hollow."

Jess nodded and looked down at his mattress. "I wish I had something better for you to sleep on tonight…"

Rory sighed and walked towards him. "Jess, everything is fine. Stop worrying."

He nodded and smirked at her. "Okay,"

They both lay down on his mattress and Jess turned off the lights. The loft was plunged into darkness and Rory shivered.

"Cold?" he asked, moving closer towards her.

Rory grinned. "Just a little,"

He moved closer and Rory shifted so that she was lying on his chest. His arm went around her shoulders, holding her close to him. "Better?" he asked.

"Perfect,"

He kissed the side of her head and closed his eyes. "So what was going on with you and Dean?" he asked.

Rory chewed on the inside of her cheek and awkwardly shrugged one shoulder. "We've been…talking recently."

"Just talking?"

"He's married, Jess."

"I know…but when he saw me there…the two of you tonight seemed a little…"

Rory sighed. "I called him to save me from a horrible date I was on."

"A date, huh?"

"Yes. My grandmother set us up. Apparently I was turning into a spinster woman before everyone's very eyes. Anyway, the guy was a jerk and I didn't have any money to get home so I called Dean to come get me."

"Why Dean?"

"I don't know…I knew mom was at your mother's wedding…how was that by the way?"

Jess shrugged. "Different, just like Liz,"

Rory smirked. "Mom was excited to dress up. Did you see her?"

"Everyone saw her. She and Luke took a little spin on the dance floor together."

"Really? They danced?"

Jess smirked. "Don't change the subject. Why did you call Dean?"

"Why do you care?"

"I just do. Humor me."

"We've been repairing our friendship, I guess. We've been talking a lot lately and I guess I knew he would come."

"What a knight,"

"Jess, stop…" she leaned up a little and looked down at his face. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness so she could make out the faint outline of his features. "There is nothing going on between us. I love you…"

Jess nodded. "Okay,"

"We should probably try and get to sleep, especially if we have to wake up early."

"Yeah, you're right."

She kissed him lightly before resting her head back on his chest. "Night Jess,"

He let out a breath and tightened his arm around her shoulders. "Night Rory."

* * *

A/N: What do you think so far? I know this has been done before but I'm taking a different spin on things, which you'll see in other chapters.

Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read chapter one and thanks for the people that reviewed! It means a lot!

* * *

Chapter Two

Rory woke up the next morning and needed to take a few minutes to remember where she was. Once she recognized that she was in Jess' loft, the events of last night replayed in her head. She was in New York with Jess…she was actually with him. A smile spread across her face as she rolled over only to find that Jess was no longer there.

"Jess?" she asked, stretching her arms above her head. No answer. She sat up and looked around the loft only to find it empty. Standing up she quickly walked over towards the bathroom and pressed her ear to the door. She didn't hear any running water or movement at all. Her heartbeat quickened.

Suddenly, the front door opened and Jess walked in holding a newspaper and two cups of coffee.

"Oh, you're up," he said, shutting the door behind him. He looked at her face and arched an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I just…I didn't know where you were."

He placed the coffee cups on top of his bookshelf and sighed. "Rory, I'm not going to leave you…not again."

She nodded. "I know,"

He walked closer to her. "I meant what I said back at Yale…you can count on me now."

"I know I can…"

He looked a little unsure but he nodded. "Okay, good."

"So," said Rory, smiling and walking towards the coffee that was waiting for her. "I was thinking…instead of finding a hotel to stay in, why don't we just stay here until we find a place near Yale? That way we can save money."

"You're sure about that?" asked Jess.

Rory nodded. "We'll never find a decent priced hotel in Manhattan and who knows how long we'd have to stay there."

"Good point,"

Rory opened her mouth to make another point but her cell phone started ringing, interrupting her. Grabbing it out of her purse, Rory froze at the number. It was her mom.

"Are you going to answer it?" asked Jess, looking at her oddly.

"It's mom,"

Jess sighed. "Oh. I'll leave if you want…"

"No, no…stay." Rory let out a deep breath and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"I can't decide if we should watch Grease 2, Teen Wolf 2, or the always amazing Saturday Night Fever sequel 'Staying Alive'." said Lorelai's voice, sounding frantic.

"Mom…."

"If we conquer all three movies tonight I might have to send out reinforcements. I'm thinking Chinese with a side of Luke's fries and Al's mystery bags for color."

Rory let out a sigh and glanced at Jess who was trying to look busy by throwing his sheet over the mattress. She couldn't help but grin at him.

"So where are you?" asked Lorelai. "Almost here, I hope."

"Actually…I'm not going to be home tonight."

"What? Why?" She sounded disappointed and it made Rory feel guilty.

"Um…" Rory chewed on her lower lip. "I'm staying with Paris for a few days…"

Jess looked up and arched an eyebrow.

"Paris?" asked Lorelai. "I thought she was going to Oxford with J. Howard Marshall?"

"She and Professor Flemming had an argument and she wants me to stay with her until she fixes things," Rory lied, glancing at Jess who was smirking slightly in her direction. "Is that okay?"

"I guess so sweetie. I was really looking forward to you coming home tonight."

"So was I but…um, well I'll see you in a few days for the inn opening."

Lorelai sighed. "Yeah...alright. Talk to you later hun,"

"Bye mom." Hanging up, Rory turned her attention towards Jess and let out a breath. "I know,"

"You didn't tell her,"

"I couldn't! She would be so furious with me and she has the inn opening in just a few days…I don't want anything to take away from that. She needs to remain focused on The Dragon Fly and not what I'm doing."

"The longer you wait to tell her the worse it's going to be," said Jess.

"I know and I hate lying to her…but I know this is right. Once the test run of the inn is finished, I'll tell her. I promise."

Jess nodded. "Good."

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Jess opened the paper and sat down on his mattress. Rory joined him and saw that he was opened to the real estate section. "Anything?" she asked.

"There are a few apartments for rent about twenty minutes away from Yale. Is that too far?"

Rory shook her head. "No, it's perfect. How much are they?"

"Most of them average at eight-hundred a month."

"Yikes."

Jess nodded. "Yeah, yikes,"

"Well, we'll just have to get jobs. I'm hoping to get an internship next year at some point but I can always…"

"No," said Jess. "I don't want you to change any of your plans. Do your internship. I'll find a job. Plus…" he paused and looked down.

"Plus what?"asked Rory. He was blushing. Rory looked on, puzzled. "What Jess?"

"I've been working on a novel…" he muttered.

"You have?"

"Yeah, a short one. It's probably horrible but you never know. How do half the novels out there get published?"

"Can I read it?"

Jess nodded and opened up a trunk at the foot of his mattress. He pulled out a pile of papers. Rory was surprised at the length.

"You don't have to read it all," he said.

"The Subsect," Rory read.

"Don't read it aloud, please."

Rory grinned and leaned back on the pillows. Her eyes scanned the words before her, a grin tugging at her lips. She was completely captivated by the story that Jess penned before her. While Jess made calls with the real estate agent, Rory read. She read the full sixty pages and when she was done, she looked at Jess, amazed.

"Well?" he asked.

"It's absolutely amazing…I can't believe you wrote this…"

"It still has a long way to go before it's complete," said Jess, smiling slightly.

"It's wonderful,"

"I'm going to have to make a lot of changes to those beginning chapters once I'm finished."

"Jess," He looked over at her and smiled at the look on her face. "It's great."

He nodded. "Thanks,"

Jess' roommates returned later that afternoon, both looking worse for the wear. They had eyed Rory a bit curiously when they first arrived but they didn't question her appearance. Rory politely introduced herself to them both, but they just muttered their names. Todd and Patrick.

"Don't except to get too chummy with them," whispered Jess into her ear.

Rory glanced back at the two boys, now lying on their respective mattresses. She turned back towards Jess and sighed. "Want to take a drive and see those apartments?"

"You moving Mariano?" asked Patrick.

"Yeah," said Jess. Rory wasn't sure if he was talking to her or Patrick but he grabbed his coat and Rory quickly followed him out of the loft.

* * *

"These apartments are perfect for a young couple starting out," commented to real estate agent as she walked through the hallway of a small apartment complex. The fourth apartment complex Rory and Jess had been to. Rory stared at the numbered doors as they walked by and couldn't help but wonder if they were taking things too fast. She told Jess that she wanted to do this, live with him, find a place together and be together, but she didn't expect that to be so soon. She had never lived with a man before. It had always been her mother and after that, three girls. And this just wasn't any man. This was Jess. Her Jess….

"Here we are,"

Both Rory and Jess stopped short and stared at the door before them. Sandy, the agent, turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door. All three of them walked into the apartment. The room they stood in was a living room/kitchen. The room was large, which surprised Rory. A decent sized couch was placed against the wall where two windows were. A small table with four chairs was in the corner and a kitchen with a stove, fridge and sink rested on the other side.

"Nice, right?" asked Sandy.

"It's lovely," said Rory, smirking at Jess. He simply nodded. "Where's the bedroom?"

"Right through that door," said Sandy, pointing to the door that was across from them. Both Rory and Jess entered the bedroom and remained frozen in the doorway.

This could potentially be their bedroom. The bedroom the two of them would share-together. Where they would…do things.

Rory felt the heat rising to her cheeks. She glanced at Jess and saw that he was staring at the bed with slightly widened eyes.

"Forgot what an actual bed looks like?" teased Rory.

Jess looked over at her and smirked. "Something like that,"

"There is plenty of closet space," called Sandy from the other room.

"Enough space to lock her in?" mumbled Jess.

"Shh!"

"Well?" asked Jess, turning to face her. "What do you think?"

Rory looked at the bedroom for another moment before looking at Jess. "I love it,"

"You do?"

"Yes, I think it's perfect. It's so much better then the other places we've seen today."

Jess smirked at her and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So…we'll take it?"

Rory smiled widely and kissed him. "Yes, we'll take it."

"When can you move in?" asked Sandy, poking her head in the room.

* * *

Rory and Jess returned to Manhattan and packed their boxes in their cars. The following morning they woke up early and drove back to New Haven where they moved into their new apartment. Rory was nervous but also really excited. Everything was happening so quickly that she could barely see straight.

"I hate that I won't be sleeping here tonight," said Rory as she dropped her last box on the floor.

"When do you have to leave for Stars Hallow?"

Rory glanced at her watch and sighed. "Now,"

Jess smirked. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You know you can stop by the inn. I'm sure Luke would love to see you."

"I just saw Luke," said Jess. "Besides, I want to unpack our things."

Rory sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jess touched her cheek and gently kissed her lips. Rory wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to slide in against hers. They pulled apart a few moments later, both out of breath.

"Uh…bye," said Rory, a little dizzy.

Jess grinned and watched her pick up a small bag with a change of clothes in them. "Bye Rory,"

She waved at him and left, her head still spinning from the kiss they just shared.

* * *

A/N: I realize that they found an apartment pretty quickly. For most people, finding an apartment that suits their needs takes days if not weeks but sometimes you can get lucky. I found my apartment the first day I went out looking.

Also, I realize that eight-hundred a month between two people probably sounds like nothing to some people, but to two unemployed nineteen year olds...yeah, you can imagine.

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying this story. Look for my next chapter sometime around Tuesday/Wednesday. That's what I'm shooting for. What this chapter was lacking in drama will be made up in chapter three.

And don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks again for everyone who is reading and reviewing this story! It means so much to me when I read your feedback. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter Three

"I'm sorry, do you need help with something?" asked Lorelai when Rory walked up to her at the check-in desk. "I mean, you look familiar…almost like my daughter but I haven't heard from in her days and I haven't seen her in weeks so my memory is a little fuzzy. Quick! Say something so I know it's you…"

"Mom…" said Rory, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh, it _is_ you!" Lorelai said with a smile before stepping out from behind the desk and hugging her tightly.

"The inn looks amazing,"

"Thanks babe," Lorelai looked over Rory's shoulder. "Where's Paris? I was sure she would tag along with you this weekend."

Rory shook her head, her eyes glancing at her shoes. "No, she wanted to stay home…"

"So you're staying with Paris and her family?"

Rory nodded and walked towards the window. "So when is everyone arriving?"

"Everyone's already here," Lorelai said, looking at her daughter oddly. "Is everything alright?"

Rory turned back to face her mother but before she could say anything, Luke walked in, holding a bouquet of flowers. Lorelai quickly smoothed out her hair, her attention now completely on the flannel clad man at the door.

"Mom?" asked Rory, confused. Lorelai glanced at Rory before walking towards Luke.

Rory walked behind the desk and watched her mother giggle and smile as Luke handed her the flowers. She then proceeded to watch her mother walk straight into a door before returning to the desk.

"What was that all about?" asked Rory, a small smile on her face.

Lorelai sighed and turned to face Rory completely. "I think I'm dating Luke."

Rory's eyes widened. "What? How long have I been gone?"

"He asked me to his sister's wedding, we had a great time and we even danced…"

"I know, I heard…"

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Who did you hear it from?"

_Crap!_ "Um, no one, it's just a saying…"

"Right…" said Lorelai, looking more confused by the minute. "Anyway, we had a beautiful evening together and then he asked me to a movie."

"Wow…um, what did you say?"

"I said yes!"

"Well, it sounds like you're dating Luke…"

Lorelai sighed but a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips. "I know…but nothing is official yet."

"Remember though that once you're dating Luke you are _dating_ Luke. Luke is a major part of our lives, we can't not have Luke in our lives….we'd starve."

Lorelai smirked. "I know, kid. Now tell me, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me; I'm just a little tired."

"Aw, well you can rest in your room if you'd like."

Rory nodded and started walking towards the staircase but the sight of Dean distracted her. He saw her and turned away, causing Rory to sigh. She walked towards him and tapped his shoulder.

"Dean, we need to talk."

"I'm busy," he said shortly, not looking at her.

"Dean, come on. Why are you so angry?"

He turned sharply towards her and glared down at her. "Gee, I don't know. Let me think, Rory. Maybe because you told me to leave so you can be with that jerk!"

"Jess is not a jerk."

Dean laughed and rolled his eyes. "I guess that answers my question on whether the two of you are back together or not."

Rory sighed. "Dean…I didn't mean to upset you."

"If you didn't mean to upset me you wouldn't be with _him_ now!"

"What does it matter Dean?" asked Rory, getting upset. "You're married!"

He let out a breath and looked at her. "I just don't like him." He said calmly. "He doesn't treat you right."

"He's changed, Dean."

"So he says,"

"I know it sounds cliché," said Rory, shaking her head. "But he really has. We're…we're living together."

Dean stared at her. He looked like he wanted to say something but instead he just turned around and walked away.

Rory didn't know why she told Dean that she was living with Jess. Maybe it was to prove that he really was committed to her or maybe she just needed to tell _someone._

* * *

During dinner that night, Rory kept glancing at her mom as she asked their friends if everything was satisfactory. She also watched her make a fool out of herself in front of Luke for the fifteenth time. She wondered when she should tell her about the Jess situation. Every time she saw her mother alone, she yelled at herself to stand and walk over towards her but she always remained glued to her seat, frozen with fear.

"Hey Rory, do you mind running home and getting some CDs just in case the guests want to listen to something in their room?" asked Lorelai, placing her hand on Rory's shoulder gently.

Rory nodded. "Of course. Some Metallica and Korn, right?"

"Yes, I heard Taylor is a big fan."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter before going back out into the lobby. Rory stood and walked out of the inn but she stopped short when she saw Jess standing before the porch, a smirk on his face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a smile forming on her lips.

"I thought I'd come by and see the inn," he said, shrugging.

"Oh yeah?"

Jess nodded and walked towards her. "It's nice,"

"You should see the inside."

"Alright, give me a tour."

"Later, I have to run home and grab some CDs for the rooms. You want to come with me?"

"Sure," he said, following Rory out to her car.

They arrived at the Gilmore home in less than five minutes.

"Is it weird being home after being away for so long?" asked Jess as he followed her into her bedroom.

"No, it feels completely normal…but I don't think I can call this place home anymore, considering a pretty pricey purchase we made this morning."

Jess grinned. "I guess not,"

Rory sighed. "Jess, why did you really come to The Dragonfly?"

He remained silent.

"It doesn't have anything to do with realizing that Dean might be there, does it?"

"You better find those CDS before you mom wonders what's taking you so long."

Rory smirked and walked closer towards him, placing her hand on cheek. "Jess…I don't know how many times I'm going to have to say it but here's one more: I don't want to be with Dean. I want to be with you-I _am_ with you. I love you and I love our new apartment and I'm excited about what the future holds for us. I would have never gone with Dean if he asked me to."

"Really?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

Rory nodded. "Swear," she whispered.

Jess closed the distance between them and kissed her hard on the mouth. Rory moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck as they walked towards her bed. They lowered their bodies onto it, their lips still hungrily attacking each others. Her hands went up his shirt and started clawing at his toned back while his went up her body and cupped her breasts from above her dress

"Maybe we should stop," he breathed against her lips.

"Please…don't stop," she moaned, before crushing her lips back onto his again.

They continued to kiss passionately, their tongues moving widely in and out of each others mouths. Rory moved her hands lower and began to undo Jess' belt, causing him to break away just a bit.

"Are you sure?" he asked, staring at her red swollen lips.

Rory nodded. "Positive."

Her heart was beating wildly as she watched Jess remove his shirt. She did the same, pulling down the straps of her dress and letting it fall down her body. Jess stared at her, clad only in her underwear and shook his head. "You're beautiful,"

She blushed and touched his forearm. "Do you have anything?"

Jess bent down and searched through his pockets, finally pulling out a colorfully wrapped square. "I don't know how old this is," he commented, staring at the condom in his hand, searching for a date.

Rory watched him patiently, her arms circling her stomach. A few moments later he smiled and looked up at her. "We're good to go," he said.

She blushed and pulled him down, kissing him again. They continued removing the remainder of their clothes.

"You're sure you want to do this?" asked Jess again.

She responded by kissing him fiercely, pulling him on top of her. A few moments later, Jess was hovering above her, scanning her face for any doubt.

"Are you ready?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

Rory nodded as best she could. "Go slow," she asked, her voice shaking slightly. She had never done this before. The closest she had come to having sex was that night in Kyle's parent's bedroom over a year ago. She knew she wanted Jess to be her first. She never even considered having sex when she was with Dean. She was too caught up in school and getting into an Ivy League University that sex was the last thing on her mind, but when she was with Jess, she thought about it quite a bit.

Jess moved and slowly entered her causing her to hiss in pain.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah…" she answered, closing her eyes.

"If it hurts we can…"

"Please, keep going." She said, gripping his shoulders. He obliged and continued moving in and out of her. He was stretching her and although it was painful, Rory loved that she was doing this with Jess. That they were finally connected-one body.

A few minutes later, they lay side by side, staring at the ceiling.

"I love you Rory," said Jess, turning onto his side and kissing her shoulder.

"I love you too, Jess." She answered, her voice sounding small in her ears. She turned over to face him and smiled. "I can't believe that just happened."

"You don't regret it do you?"

She smiled and leaned forward, kissing him deeply. When they pulled apart, Jess smirked. "I'll take that as a no."

"This right here is the textbook definition of a perfect moment."

He sighed. "I think so too."

They started leaning in to kiss again but the sound of a car door slamming shut caused Jess to pull apart. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"What?" Rory asked.

Suddenly, the front door opened and Rory's eyes widened.

"Rory!" called Lorelai's voice. "You're missing everything!"

Rory and Jess jumped out of bed and quickly began redressing. They heard Lorelai frantically running around upstairs as they buttoned and zipped.

"You need to leave!" said Rory, looking at Jess. "She can't find you here!"

But it was too late, the sound of Lorelai coming down the stairs echoed throughout the house and Rory quickly ran out of her room.

"What's going on?" asked Lorelai, staring at her daughter who was standing barefoot in the hallway.

Jess walked out of her room and ran his hands through his hair.

"Jess just came over to borrow something,"

Lorelai looked at the pair of them, the smile completely gone from her face.

"Jess?" she asked, looking at the disheveled pair. She walked towards them and looked into Rory's room. She saw the unmade bed and shook her head. "I can't believe this."

"Mom, I'm sorry you had to find out this way…I'm sorry we didn't talk about it first….but…we were safe and we're in love. Aren't you happy that it happened with someone who really loves me?"

Lorelai glared at her daughter and Jess, who was standing silently off to the side. "He loves you today but he'll be gone tomorrow," she said, her voice not masking the hatred she felt for the young man standing before her.

"You don't understand the situation," said Rory, folding her arms across her chest.

"I understand Jess! I understand that he left you brokenhearted only to come back, say he loves you and leave you again! What makes you think he'll be any different this time, Rory?"

"Because we're living together!"

Lorelai stepped back, her eyes wide. "What?"

"I haven't been with Paris, I've been with Jess. We moved into an apartment near Yale this morning. I was going to tell you but…"

Lorelai shook her head. "No, no way. You are not living in an apartment with Jess!"

"I already am!"

"You're coming home right now!" Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I will not have my nineteen year old daughter living with the boy who broke her heart and who can't be trusted!"

"Can't be trusted?" yelled Rory. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"This isn't you, Rory! Moving in with some guy! Having sex with a boy who broke your heart! God damn it!"

"You're just mad I didn't talk to you before having sex with Jess."

"No, I'm mad because my only daughter has been lying to me, sneaking around behind my back and moving in with her ex boyfriend!" yelled Lorelai, tears welling in her eyes. "He's just going to leave you again, Rory."

"Hey!" yelled Jess, speaking up.

"You are going to go back to this apartment and bring your stuff back here." Lorelai said, ignoring Jess.

"No, I'm not!" yelled Rory as she grabbed Jess' hand and walked passed her mother.

"Where are you going?" asked Lorelai, following them.

"Home!" answered Rory. "I hate you for ruining this for me!"

Rory and Jess stormed out of the house and got into Rory's car. They sped back to The Dragon Fly to get Jess' car and then drove back towards their apartment in New Haven.

* * *

A/N: I know some of you wanted Lorelai to be cool with this or not give them that much grief but honestly, that would be totally out of character and I wanted to keep this as realistic as possible. Obviously Lorelai is not going to be happy with the idea that Rory is living with Jess. She wasn't thrilled with the idea that she was living with Logan and that was when Rory was in her twenties, right?

Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry it took me a bit longer to update for this chapter. My new job is very time consuming, but don't worry, I'll have this updated again by Sunday at the latest! Also, thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing! _

* * *

Chapter Four

"Rory, slow down!" called Jess as he chased Rory down the hallway of their building.

"I just can't believe her," said Rory as she twisted her key in the lock of their door. "She thinks she can just tell me what to do like I'm still a child."

Jess sighed and slide into the apartment behind Rory. He flipped on the lights and stared at his girlfriend. Her hair was sticking up and her eyes were wild. Her face was flushed with anger and she was carrying her shoes in her hand.

"It was very rare that she would pull out the mom card when I was growing up but she always made it known that it was there…ready for her to use when she wasn't getting her way or when things weren't working out exactly the way she wants." Rory let out a breath and turned to face Jess. "Well, she will have to get used to it if she wants to continue being in my life."

"Rory," said Jess, walking towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're not going to cut your mother out of your life."

Rory nodded. "I will. If she doesn't accept that fact that I'm happy with you and that I'm in love with you…"

Jess shook his head. "Rory, your mom didn't accept the fact that we were together back when we were in high school. What makes you think that she's going to come around to the idea of us living together now?"

"That's her decision. If she decides to be against the two of us being together for the rest of her life then so be it. She won't have to see us together."

"You know as well as I do that you can't live without your mother, Rory."

"Of course I can," said Rory, although she didn't sound all that sure.

Jess let out a breath. "Whatever you say…"

Rory sighed and walked into their bedroom. She stared at the bed and turned back around to face Jess.

"Well, on the bright side…we get to christen our new apartment tonight."

Jess looked up from his shoes and arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

Rory nodded shyly and walked deeper into the bedroom. Jess quickly followed her inside. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his body.

"I'm sorry my mom had to ruin…everything that happened tonight. I mean…it was a big…step, wouldn't you say?"

Jess nodded. "A very big step."

"Jess…how many…girls…women, have you been with before me?"

"Rory…"

"I know I wasn't your first…I realize that, I would be stupid to think so."

Jess sighed and looked into her eyes. He always found them captivating. He could spend the rest of his life staring into them. They reminded him of the clear, blue ocean.

"Three."

Rory nodded. "Okay…three."

"I wish…I wish you could have been my first."

"I understand, Jess. Things happen...we were apart but the most important thing is that we're together now."

Jess smiled slightly at her and kissed her lightly.

"So, about that christening…" said Rory once they pulled apart.

"Is that all you're going to use me for now, Gilmore? My body?"

"You didn't think anything different did you?"

He smirked and gently pushed her back till the back of her knees hit the bed. "My mistake," he mumbled before capturing her lips with his again.

* * *

Rory awoke the following morning when her cell phone started ringing loudly. Jess groaned next to her and tightened his arm around her waist.

"What time is it?" he asked, his voice raspy with sleep.

Rory leaned up and grabbed her phone. "Almost eleven."

"Whose calling?"

"Who do you think?" asked Rory, staring at the phone in her hand. After a few more rings, she sighed and flipped it open. "Hello?" she asked.

"It's me." said Lorelai's voice.

"I know," answered Rory, swigging her legs over the side of her bed and walking towards the window.

"Your grandmother is here."

Rory didn't say anything.

"She wants to have lunch."

"But she left."

"I know but apparently the lunch date still stands. I realize the two of us are having a thing now and you hate me but this is for your grandmother."

Rory sighed. "I'll be there in an hour."

"We'll be waiting."

Lorelai hung up and Rory let out a sigh before shutting her phone. "My grandmother is at the inn and she wants to have lunch."

Jess sighed. "I guess you're going."

Rory shrugged. "I have to."

"Do you want me to…come with you?" he asked, cringing slightly.

Rory grinned. "I can see how much that would please you but…no, no it's fine. I'll only be gone a few hours."

Jess nodded. "If you need backup you know where to reach me."

After quickly getting dressed, Rory got into her car and drove towards Stars Hollow. She didn't know what she was going to do or say to her mother when she saw her but she knew that Lorelai was going to try and talk her out of living with Jess again. After driving for thirty minutes, Rory drove into Stars Hollow. Parking her car outside the Dragonfly she walked towards the back and saw that her grandmother and mother were sitting under some trees, drinking iced tea.

"Oh Rory!" cried Emily. "You're finally here!"

"Sorry I'm late, grandma." Rory said, kissing her grandmothers cheek. She sat across from her mother but refused to look at her. She didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Well, as the two of you might already know…Richard and I have separated. I'm fit to be tied with the way he treats me and takes me for granted. He's moving into the pool house as we speak."

"What?" asked Lorelai.

"What?"

"You're not separated."

"Of course we are," said Emily. "Did you not hear a word I just said?"

"You're separated by the pool, mom."

Emily sighed. "I'm sorry that the end of my marriage is not dramatic enough for you, Lorelai. Anyway, I've decided that I'm not going to spend the summer moping around the house. I'm going to get out and do all the things I've always wanted to do…like go to Europe."

"You've been to Europe plenty of times, mom."

"Yes, but never alone. It will be a brand new experience…but…well, I was hoping that Rory would want to accompany me."

Rory, who had been silently sipping her iced tea, looked up with wide eyes. "What?"

"Oh what do you say, Rory? Just us girls, taking on Europe? Every young women needs to experience Europe the right way at least once in her life."

"Oh…I don't know Grandma…"

"I think it's a great idea." said Lorelai.

Finally, Rory allowed herself to look at her mother and saw that she was grinning slightly in her direction.

"Excellent." said Emily with a smile. "We'll talk it over a bit more when I get back from the powder room. This is so exciting!"

Emily stood up and walked back towards the inn, leaving mother and daughter alone.

"Thanks a lot for that." Rory said, standing up. Lorelai quickly followed suit.

"What?" she asked.

"How could you say that to grandma? Saying that it was a great idea for me to go to Europe with her?"

"Because I do think it's a great idea."

"Oh really? You really think that me going to Europe with your mother is a great idea or do you just like the idea of me getting away from Jess?"

Lorelai folded her arms across her chest. "I do think it's a good idea if you got away from Jess. He has this power over you Rory and I don't like it. I don't like that you're completely throwing your life away for him."

"You don't even know him anymore! You're thinking of Jess, the seventeen year old that wreaked my car and left without saying a word. You don't know the Jess I know!"

"That is the Jess you know, Rory! God!"

"I'm not going with Grandma,"

"Well you can tell her that."

"What am I supposed to say to her, exactly?"

"Why not try out the truth with her?"

"Oh yeah, because I'm sure that will go over well."

Lorelai shook her head. "How long did you think you could hide this Rory? If I didn't catch you and Jess last night…when were you going to tell me?"

Rory looked at her feet. "Soon…I didn't want to stress you out."

"You don't want to stress me out? Get your things and move back home!"

"You won't even give him a chance! It's like you want to hate him!"

"Well, it just comes so naturally with him!"

Fuming, Rory grabbed her purse and stormed away in the direction of her car.

"Where are you going?" yelled Lorelai, following her daughter.

"Home to Jess!"

"What do you want me to tell your grandmother?"

"Tell her whatever you want!"

Rory reached her car and slammed the door shut. She rested her head on her steering wheel and burst into tears. Everything was so messed up. How could one half of her life be so amazing and wonderful while the other half was falling apart?

Were things moving too fast between her and Jess? She knew that what her mother was saying made sense but…

Her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone started buzzing inside her purse. Digging through it, she pulled it out and answered it.

"Hello?" she asked, trying to contain her emotions.

"Hey, it's me. Is it bad that I called?"

Rory smiled at the sound of his voice.

"No, I'm about to leave anyway."

"How'd it go?"

"Horrible. I'll tell you about it later when I get home."

"Alright….drive safe."

"I will."

"I love you,"

She paused and smiled to herself. Whatever doubts she was just having completely vanished with those three simple words. Except, they weren't so simple were they? Rory knew that it was hard for Jess to open up and expose his emotions so when he told her he loved her…he must really mean it.

"I love you too," she answered.

They hung up and Rory placed her phone back into her purse. She stared at the Dragonfly for a moment and shook her head. Putting her car into drive, Rory backed out of the parking lot and sped out of Stars Hollow, not taking a single look back.

"Lorelai?" asked Emily, walking towards her daughter. "I just saw Rory storming off in a fit, what's going on?"

Lorelai glanced at her mother, her shoulders sagged. "I don't think Rory will be joining you in Europe this summer."

"What? I hope you didn't say anything to her to change her mind! You probably hated that she wanted to spend time alone with me, away from you."

Lorelai shook her head, tears springing into her eyes. "If you recall, mother, I was the one who said it was a good idea."

"Well then, what's the problem?"

Lorelai stared at the patch of trees that Rory had stormed off through a few minutes before. "She's living with Jess." she stated simply, bringing her eyes to meet her mothers.

"Jess?...Jess? Not that hoodlum that came to dinner at my house with a black eye and was completely disrespectful! How could you let this happen!"

"I didn't let anything happen! You think I'm happy about this?"

"I never understood you Lorelai. You raised that girl to be your best friend, not giving her proper examples of authority! You're her mother not her girlfriend!"

Lorelai shook her head, a few tears breaking free. "This has nothing to do with how I raised _my_ daughter! Look at what happened with me being raised to understand authority and rules…my daughter is in an ivy league school, she graduated valedictorian from her high school…I did a damn good job raising Rory!"

"What makes you think she's going to continue to stay in Yale now that she's living with that hoodrat?"

"No…Rory would never drop out of Yale…"

"You didn't think she would run off to live with her boyfriend. She's clearly capable to do anything she wants."

Lorelai didn't say anything. Emily smirked at her and nodded before turning on her heel and storming off towards the parking lot. "Mom!" Lorelai called, staying rooted in her spot. Emily turned around and faced her daughter. "I'm going to need your help."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yikes, I know I promised to update days ago but my job completely drains me that by the time I get home, I just want to crash. But nevertheless, here you are: chapter five. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Chapter Five

"I can't believe you're living with Jess," said Lane, her voice laced with shock.

Rory grinned and dried her damp hair with a towel as she balanced her cell phone on her shoulder. "I know, isn't it great?"

"Yeah…I mean…its fast, but if you're happy it's great."

"I know it's fast but I've never been this happy before."

"I'll have to see your place!"

"Yes! We haven't had any visitors yet."

"Not even Lorelai?"

Rory sighed. "She doesn't even know the address…I don't think she'll be visiting anytime soon."

"Still no word from her?"

"No," replied Rory sadly. "I'm surprised Luke hasn't found out where we are yet."

"Luke isn't even around. He's helping Liz and TJ up at the renaissance fair."

"That explains it." Rory glanced at her reflection in the mirror. "My grandmother called me yesterday."

"That's never good. What did she want?"

"She just wanted to confirm that I was going to attend dinner tonight. I guess mom didn't tell her about what's going on."

Lane sighed. "Are you going to dinner?"

"I have to. I'm betting mom won't be there so it won't be so bad."

"Is Jess going to go with you?" asked Lane.

Rory laughed. "Yeah right, I don't expect him to be going back to my grandparent's house anytime soon. Besides, he's at a job interview with the East Hartford Gazette. I don't think he'll be back in time."

"I can't believe you're living with him…I can't believe you're having sex…"

"Lane…"

"How was it? I know I asked you a hundred times already but I'm living vicariously through you."

Rory giggled. "It was…amazing. Scary, at first but…well you get used to it."

Lane sighed. "You're so lucky."

"Why? You're living with the band, that's pretty amazing, Lane."

"Yeah, the guys are pretty great, even if they do repeatedly leave the toilet seat up and eat everything in sight. And now that Mama Kim knows, the guilt doesn't keep me up at night."

"I wish I could say the same."

"Your mom knows, Rory. She just doesn't approve."

"It's the same thing. We've never fought like this before…I don't think things are ever going to be the same between us again." Lane made a noise, causing Rory to arch her eyebrow. "What?"

"Well…" Lane sighed. "Don't hate me for saying this but…is it worth it? You could still be with Jess without living with him, right? That way you'd have Lorelai in your life and Jess…"

Rory shook her head. "It's not that simple."

"I guess not."

Rory could tell by the tone of Lane's voice that she didn't completely understand. "I should get ready for dinner."

"Alright….good luck."

"Thanks. Bye."

Closing her phone, Rory glanced at her reflection in the mirror once more before continuing to get ready for dinner with her grandparents.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Rory pulled up in front of her grandparent's mansion and to her surprise, her mother's jeep was parked outside. A part of Rory wanted to flee, not wanting to deal with Lorelai right now but she knew she couldn't do that. Taking a deep breath, Rory exited her car and walked slowly towards the front door.

A timid little woman in a maid's uniform answered the door and ushered her inside. Rory thanked her and shrugged off her coat.

"Everyone is inside," the maid squeaked, taking Rory's jacket. Rory nodded politely and walked into the living room. She stopped short when she saw that both her grandparents and her mother were sitting silently, undoubtedly waiting for her.

"Sit down, Rory." Richard said.

Rory glanced at her mother and saw that she was staring at the carpet, a frown on her face. Rory chewed on the inside of her cheek as she obeyed her grandfather, sitting on the small love seat, across from her family.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Your mother has informed us of your new living situation," Richard said, folding his hands on his lap.

"It's unacceptable." Emily said, her voice rising slightly.

"I'm sorry but this really is none of your business," said Rory, shifting in her seat.

"None of our business? We are your grandparent's young lady!" yelled Richard. "You are our business and when I see my granddaughter throwing her life away for some thug off the streets I'm going to put a stop to it!"

"He's not some thug off the street!" Rory said, folding her arms across her chest. She looked at her mother and shook her head. "Why can't you just accept that I love him and want to be with him?"

Lorelai looked up and shook her head. "Because I know Jess, Rory. He doesn't like to be rooted in one spot, he's going to want to leave and he's going to leave you!"

Rory shook her head, though she remained silent.

"Your mother is right," said Emily. "I've met Jess; I know what an abominable creature he is."

"I refuse to sit back and watch you throw your life away for some guy." said Lorelai, staring at her daughter intently. "You have such big dreams, Rory. Don't give up on those dreams because of your boyfriend…"

Rory still remained silent, chewing on her cheek. She tasted blood in her mouth but she refused to stop, otherwise she would explode at the three people sitting across from her.

"So it's settled." said Richard, obviously taking his granddaughters silence as compliance. "I'll hire a moving crew to pick up your things and bring them to Stars Hollow. You'll be home by morning."

"No," said Rory, speaking up. "I'm not moving out. I'm staying with Jess."

Lorelai sighed and her shoulders slouched. "Oh Rory,"

"If you don't want to accept the fact that we're living together then you don't have to be in my life."

Rory saw tears forming in her mother's eyes and prayed that none spilled from her own. Her own words sounded harsh in her ears but she refused to give in to her family's wishes. She stood up and started walking towards the door. "I'll skip dinner tonight, the verbal abuse was enough."

Richard quickly stood, his face growing red. "Well then you leave me no choice, young lady."

Rory turned around, her hands on her hips.

"If you continue to live with Jess I will no longer help you out financially."

"What?"

"Your grandmother and I will no longer pay for Yale."

"Richard…" whispered Emily behind him. Lorelai stared at her father, her eyes slightly widened.

Rory licked her lips and nodded. "Fine."

"Rory, please…" begged Lorelai, walking towards her. "It's not worth it! All the hard work you've done…don't give up on your education!"

Clearing her throat, Rory backed away from her mother. "Bye." And with that, Rory stormed out of the mansion, leaving her stunned family behind.

* * *

Rory arrived back at her apartment twenty minutes later. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, putting her head in her hands.

"Rory?" asked Jess, coming out of the bedroom. "What's wrong?"

Rory looked up and shook her head. "Nothing…I just have a headache. How was the interview?"

"It went well," answered Jess, walking towards her. "I think I got the job."

"That's great Jess!" said Rory, smiling. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly. "I'm so proud of you."

Jess grinned but backed away a bit. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

Rory sighed. "I had dinner at my grandparents tonight and…my mom told them about us."

"How bad was it?" asked Jess, leading her to sit on the couch.

"Bad," said Rory. "They aren't going to pay for Yale anymore."

Jess' eyes widened. "What? They said that?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah…I think they thought that I was going to give in to them if they threatened me with that but they were wrong," she shook her head and took Jess' hand in hers. "They don't realize how much I love you."

Jess smiled slightly at her but his eyes darted away.

"What's wrong?" asked Rory, holding his hand tighter.

"Nothing," said Jess, standing up. "Just thinking about my interview."

"I thought you said it went well?"

He nodded."It did, but well…the interviewer was an Ayn Rand fan. Do I really want to be working for a nutcase?" he teased.

Rory laughed slightly and slapped his arm. "Better than Hemingway," she said lightly. "I'm going to shower. Why don't you order a pizza?"

Jess nodded and watched as she disappeared into the bathroom. Once the door was closed he let out a sigh and went to get the pizza menu.

* * *

"So you're going to drop out?" asked Lane as she and Rory walked down the Stars Hollow streets. Rory had decided to pay her friend a visit and see if any shops were hiring around town. Jess had gotten the East Hartford Gazette job, but his income alone was not going to be enough to live on.

"Well, I've been thinking about it…I don't think they are going to go through with it."

Lane looked at Rory with her eyebrows raised. "You don't?"

"Richard and Emily survive by social standings. Do you really think they want to tell their friends that their granddaughter dropped out of Yale? Also, they would never want to see me drop out. Once they realize that I'm not leaving Jess anytime soon, they'll cave."

"What if you're wrong?" asked Lane, chewing on her thumb nail.

Rory shook her head. "I won't be wrong."

"But let's say you are…are you really willing to leave Yale?" When Rory didn't say anything Lane stopped walking and grabbed onto her friends arm. "Rory, I'm worried about you."

"Worried about me?" asked Rory, slightly amused.

"You're changing. The old Rory would never even dream of giving up her college career for a boy, no matter who that boy was."

"I'm not changing, Lane. I don't want to give up my college career and I don't plan on giving it up either…if my grandparents refuse to pay for Yale, I'll have to figure something out on my own."

Lane laughed slightly and shook her head. "Yeah, because finding a job in Stars Hollow is definitely going to be enough to pay for an Ivy League school."

Rory looked at Lane. "What has gotten into you?"

"No," said Lane, putting her hands to her hand. "What has gotten into you? You're not talking to Lorelai, you're breaking yourself away from your family, you're living with your boyfriend and you might have to drop out of Yale!"

"I thought you were supportive of this? You're supposed to be my best friend, Lane. What happened to 'if I'm happy it's great.'?"

"Well, that was before I realized all that you'll be giving up. I am your best friend, that's why I'm telling you this."

"I'm not giving up anything." Rory said, folding her arms across her chest. "I have Jess now. The guy I've been in love with since I was seventeen years old. I was heartbroken when he left me, Lane. I pictured a future with him, a life. I have that now and nobody is supporting me. You'll all support me when I'm going off to Yale and graduating top of my class but where is that support when I'm happy with the man I love? Where is the support for my happiness?"

Lane shook her head. "Rory, will you listen to yourself?"

Rory sighed in frustration and began walking away. "I'm leaving. Why don't you go over to my house and you and my mom and have a long discussion on how I'm throwing my life away. I'll be finding a job."

"Rory, wait…" called Lane, but Rory walked away, ignoring her friend's calls.

* * *

"I found a job!" sang Rory as she waltzed into her apartment. Jess looked up from his computer and grinned at his girlfriend.

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "Where?"

"I'm going to do inventory at Andrew's Bookstore."

"In Stars Hollow?"

Rory nodded and sat down on the couch, putting her feet on the coffee table. "I decided to see if anyone needed any extra staff for the summer and Andrew hired me on the stop."

"You're beloved in that crazy town," said Jess. "So, um…did you run into anyone while you were there?"

"No, I didn't see my mom." Rory answered, looking at her sandal clad feet. "I didn't go near the inn and I knew she would be working so I figured it was safe."

Jess nodded slightly and looked back at his computer screen.

"How's the book coming?"

"Pretty good," answered Jess. "I'm having trouble resolving the conflict between Benny and Quincy but other than that…"

Rory grinned, remembering the feud that had taken place on the pages she had read. "If you ask me, Quincy shouldn't forgive Benny so easily. Benny didn't tell Quincy that he knew about his secret all along…the fact that Quincy trusted him all those years while Benny was hiding this colossal thing from him should not be taken lightly. Also, Quincy found Benny corresponding with his father, whom he never spoke to before. Obviously Benny is up to something and I don't think…" she paused and looked at Jess who was smiling at her. "What?"

Jess closed his laptop and walked towards her. "Nothing," he said.

Rory lowered her feet from the coffee table and smiled at him. "What's that look in your eye?"

Still not saying anything, Jess walked closer to her. Rory stood up from the couch and darted for the bathroom door but Jess pouched and circled his arms around her waist, causing Rory to scream in delight. She turned around to face him and playfully squirmed to get out of his hold.

"Let go," she laughed.

"Never," he said. Rory stopped laughing and looked into his brown eyes that were staring intensely into hers. She put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips tenderly, licking his lower lip slowly.

Jess moaned lightly and opened his mouth just enough so Rory's tongue could gain entrance. They stood there, holding onto each other, kissing passionately for what seemed hours before they broke apart, both gasping for air.

"I love you," said Jess, looking at her swollen lips.

Rory smiled and kissed him again. "I love you too." she said, pulling his body down onto the couch with her.

Thirty minutes later, the pair was lying on the couch, their sweaty bodies pressed against each other.

"At least we know that part works in our relationship," said Jess, smirking down at Rory who was lying on his stomach.

"You've said that to me before," she said, trailing her finger along his chest hair.

"You remember?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I remember a lot of the things you've said to me. I remember when you took me to the Distillers concert, I remember when you destroyed that amazing snowman so mom and I could win the contest…" she paused and lay her head down on his chest. "I remember when you looked up how far Yale was from Stars Hollow."

Jess ran his fingers through her hair. "I wish there were more things for you to remember."

Rory snuggled closer to his body and kissed his chest. "Me too, but the memories I do have are perfect. Besides, we're making memories right now. I've never been so happy in all my life."

"I find that hard to believe," said Jess.

Rory looked up at him. "It's true. I think that's why a lot of people don't trust my decisions when it comes to you, and us living together. Everyone knows me as this studious little girl who spends her nights reading and writing papers….they don't realize that I can want to have a life like this. Lying naked on the couch with my boyfriend, holding each other…feeling each other's hearts beating…I crave that. I just wish it didn't have to come at an expense."

Jess looked into her eyes and couldn't help but see the sadness in them. Rory could be the happiest she ever was in her life, but her usually bright eyes would remain dark as long as Lorelai was absent from her life and returning to Yale wasn't in her future.

Holding Rory closer to his body, Jess kissed the top of her head and sighed. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Thanks for reading and review! I'll update as soon as I can! Look for the next chapter within the next week!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for everyone who is reading and reviewing! I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me.

* * *

Chapter Six

Jess straightened out his shirt and smoothed his hair down a bit. As he raised his fist to knock on the door in front of him, he hoped he wasn't about to make matters worse in the entire situation involving Rory, himself and the fact that they were living together. He heard footsteps walking closer to the door and he let out a breath. Why was he so nervous?

The door opened and Lorelai stood before him, her eyes wide and her hair hanging around her shoulders, looking unwashed and straggly. She looked exhausted. Jess guessed that her concern for Rory was keeping her from getting a good night's sleep.

"Jess." she said, her voice sharp like a blade.

"Lorelai…uh, can we talk?"

At first it didn't look like Lorelai was going to let Jess inside but she moved aside and allowed Jess to enter her home.

"Is everything alright with Rory?" asked Lorelai, following him into the living room.

"Yes and no," answered Jess truthfully, sitting down on the couch.

Lorelai sat next to him and turned to face him. "Well?" she asked.

"Rory told me that your parents are not going to be paying for Yale anymore if she doesn't move out of our apartment."

Lorelai squirmed a bit at the mention of '_our apartment_' but tried to remain composed. "That's right."

"Well that can't happen…"

"It is happening, Jess. You're ruining my daughter's life!"

"Let's calm down the dramatics for a minute," snapped Jess. "I don't want this to happen any more than you do."

"Oh please." Lorelai scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "You probably love that Rory is becoming another one of your brainless girlfriends. You've never cared about Rory's feelings! Why else would you have moved across the country without even telling her!"

Jess shook his head. "You're never going to forgive me for my past mistakes, are you?"

Lorelai didn't say anything.

"Listen, I love your daughter. I'm sorry if you don't like that but it's true. I've loved her since I met her and I know she loves me too."

"If you loved her at all you wouldn't be okay with the idea of her leaving Yale." said Lorelai, her voice clogging with emotion.

"Exactly." said Jess slowly.

Lorelai arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"I don't want her to leave Yale…I don't want her to not pursue her dreams. I don't want to be the reason for her to never speak with you again."

"Well…good…as long as we agree on that..."

"Is there any way you can speak to your parents? Make them change their minds?"

"Jess, I don't think so. They don't want Rory living with you and neither do I. She's too young to be living with her boyfriend and she's too young to be willing to give up everything for her boyfriend. You may love her Jess, but who's to say that won't change in a few months?"

Jess shook his head. "It hasn't changed for two years. I don't think it's going to change anytime soon. I do plan on spending the rest of my life with Rory." Lorelai stiffened and Jess smirked slightly. "Don't worry; I'm not going to propose anytime soon."

"Good," said Lorelai, obviously relieved. "Listen Jess, I'm happy my daughter has found love in her life and that she is so passionate about it. For awhile there, I was afraid that she was going to end up like me…not trusting men and afraid to express her love. I'm happy she turned out different than me in that respect but she cannot live with you, not yet anyway. I'm sorry but I won't change my mind on that."

Jess sighed. "I don't know what to do."

Lorelai placed her hand gently on his and smiled gently at him. "I think you do."

"I want what's best for her." said Jess. "But what if she doesn't understand that?"

"Rory is a smart girl. She might not see it right away but she will…eventually."

Both Jess and Lorelai remained silent for a few moments before Jess cleared his throat. "So, is um…Luke still with my mom and TJ?"

Lorelai nodded. "He's due back tomorrow, actually."

Jess couldn't ignore the small smile that appeared on Lorelai's face at the mention of his uncle.

"It's good that you two are finally together."

"How did you…"

"I just figured…you know…the dance at the wedding. You two looked pretty close."

Lorelai smirked. "He's a great man, your uncle."

Jess nodded. "I know."

The two stood from the couch and walked towards the front door.

"Jess," started Lorelai, staring at the young man who was about to leave her house. "I do believe that you love my daughter."

"Good," he said, twisting the knob. "I hope she does too."

* * *

Jess returned to his apartment thirty minutes later and found Rory sitting at the kitchen table, reading. She looked up when he walked in and smiled.

"Hey, where did you run off to?" she asked, closing her book.

"I just took a drive…" he said. "Rory…I need to talk to you about something."

Rory stood up and walked towards him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Jess sighed. "You have to go back to Yale,"

"Jess…"

"Hear me out…" started Jess, holding his hand up to silence her. "I love you so much Rory…more than I even thought I was capable of…but I can't be the reason for you to not continue going to Yale."

Rory shook her head. "I don't understand what you're saying…"

"Maybe…maybe you should move back in with your mother and stay in the dorms at Yale when school starts."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"I never thought that you would be dropping out of Yale when I asked you to go away with me. If I would have known that I wouldn't…"He paused and shook his head. "I know you're happy now but you won't be when September comes and you're not sitting in a classroom analyzing Faulkner or writing for the paper."

"Do you not like living with me?" asked Rory. Tears were staring to fall down her cheeks and her head felt like it was going to explode. She couldn't believe that Jess was saying this.

He stepped closer to her but she backed away. "Rory, no, I love living with you…these past few weeks have been amazing. I'm only thinking about you."

"You said that I could count on you now!" yelled Rory. "You said that you weren't going to leave me!"

"I'm not leaving you!" said Jess, raising his voice slightly. "Rory, I know you don't want to leave Yale, I'm just trying to…"

"Of course I don't want to leave Yale!" she bellowed, her voice cracking. "I've worked my ass off my entire life to get into an Ivy League college, Jess! But you're more important to me than Yale!"

Jess sighed and walked closer to her. "Today I might be, but I know that's not true and it shouldn't be true."

"So what, when you said that I could count on you and that we're supposed to be together…was that all bullshit?"

"God damn it, Rory! Of course it wasn't!" yelled Jess. "I've wanted to be with you since the moment I saw you but I don't think we're going about this the right way!"

Rory shook her head. "I can't believe this is happening." Before Jess could say anything, Rory grabbed her purse and stormed out of the apartment.

"Rory!" yelled Jess, following her down the hallway.

"Don't follow me." ordered Rory.

Jess stood, paralyzed in his spot as he watched Rory retreat down the stairwell.

* * *

Lorelai stuffed another marshmallow in her mouth as she flipped aimlessly through the channels. She halfheartedly stopped on 'I Love Lucy' and stared blankly at the screen in front of her. Lucy was dancing around the living room in a crazy outfit with Ethel, while Ricky watched on in horror as the movie studio producer was surely not going to sign him now after this display. The episode would normally have Lorelai laughing in fits but it wasn't the same. Nothing was the same with Rory not in her life. She sighed and flipped off the television, closing the marshmallow bag with a clip. She stood up and stretched her arms above her head, glancing nonchalantly out the window. She did a double take. There, parked in her driveway, was Rory's car.

"Rory," she breathed, before rushing out of the house and towards her daughter's vehicle. She stopped a few feet back when she saw that her daughter was crying into her hands. She was still buckled in and the car was still running. It broke Lorelai's heart.

"Hun?" she asked, walking closer.

Rory jumped slightly at the sound of her mother's voice and looked up.

"Aw babe, what happened?"

"You got what you wanted," said Rory, her voice clogged with tears. "Jess said that I should move back in with you."

Lorelai sighed. "It's for the best, sweetie."

"Maybe for you, but I love him. I want to be with him."

Lorelai leaned down and through the open window, brushed Rory's hair away from her damp face. "Why don't you come inside? I'll make you some coffee."

Rory was hesitant at first but she turned off her car and unbuckled herself. Lorelai led her daughter into the house and sat with her down on the couch.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" asked Lorelai gently.

"He said that he doesn't want to be the reason for me not going back to Yale."

Lorelai smiled. "That was very gallant of him."

Rory glanced at her mother. "I screwed everything up,"

"Honey, Jess…."

"Not just with Jess," Rory interrupted quickly. "I put you through so much with this whole situation and grandma and grandpa too. I'm been lashing out at everything, even Lane, because I didn't want to admit that you were all right."

Lorelai let out a sigh and wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulders. "You know Jess is doing the right thing."

Rory nodded. "I do. It was really nice living with him though," she added quietly.

"I know sweets but…well, what was going to happen? You move in together at nineteen, get engaged by twenty-one, married by twenty-two and expecting a baby at twenty-four?"

Rory stared at her mother. "We had no plans on getting married…"

"You should know that things happen regardless of what plans you have or not," she bumped her shoulder to Rory's and the two of them shared a grin.

"I really went off on Jess. I knew everything he was saying was right but I couldn't admit it."

"If there's one thing you got from me it's my stubbornness." said Lorelai.

"And your love of bad movies,"

"Not to mention coffee."

"Which by the way, I'm still waiting for," Rory joked lightly.

Lorelai smiled and kissed the side of Rory's forehead. "Honey, you're doing the right thing." she said before standing up.

Rory sighed and followed her mother into the kitchen. "What about grandma and grandpa? They're probably furious with me."

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, they're pretty upset. But I'm sure once you tell that that you're moving back home, they'll be very happy. Happy enough to open their checkbooks and give you money to continue your education, anyway."

Rory sat down in a chair at the table and leaned her head in the palm of their hand. "Do you think Jess hates me for choosing Yale over him?"

Lorelai stopped pouring coffee grounds in the machine and turned to face her daughter. "Honey, he's the one who wants you to go back to Yale."

"I know but maybe he wanted me to fight for us more…"

Placing the coffee down on the counter, Lorelai pulled out a chair and sat across from her daughter. "Jess came by to see me this morning."

Rory sat up straight. "What?"

"He wanted to see if there was any way your grandparents would pay for Yale with you still living with him. I told him that would probably never happen…he didn't want to do this Rory but he knows its right. As much as I hate to say it, Jess loves you. If he didn't love you, he would just be thinking about himself."

Rory watched her mother continue making the coffee and leaned back in her chair. She needed to talk to Jess and explain everything to him. She needed to tell him that she was sorry for accusing him of lying to her about his genuine feelings but she couldn't bring herself to call him. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and her head still hurt from her meltdown in the car.

"You look tired, babe." Lorelai noted, placing a coffee mug in front of her daughter.

"I am," said Rory, taking a long sip of the steaming liquid.

"Why don't you take a nap? I'll call your grandparents if you'd like…"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, thanks." Gripping her coffee mug, she stood and moved towards her bedroom but paused at the door. Her sheets were still unmade from when her and Jess…

Rory turned to look at her mother. "Can I sleep in your bed?" she asked, not wanting to think about Jess right now. All she wanted to do was clear her mind and get some sleep.

Lorelai nodded. "Of course," She watched her daughter walk slowly away and let out a sigh before picking up the telephone and calling her parents.

* * *

A/N: The next chapter, Luke comes back! Just wanted to give y'all a heads up. Thanks again for the reviews and for reading. Summer has been really busy and my job is crazy but I will find time to update ASAP.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Rory awoke the next morning, surprised she had slept for twelve hours without waking up once. It took her a few moments to realize that she was still in her mother's bedroom but realization came to her when she turned around and saw Lorelai laying next to her, eyes open and staring.

"Morning," said Lorelai softly.

Rory groaned and closed her eyes again. "I can't believe I slept that long."

"You were tired. I guess you haven't been getting much sleep lately,"

Rory opened her eyes and gave her mother a look. "Mom,"

Lorelai grinned. "Sorry. What do you say we go to Luke's for breakfast? I'm sure you miss it there."

Rory smiled slightly. "It's been five weeks, not five years but…yeah, I have. Especially the coffee."

"Well, the coffee has been lacking lately since Luke isn't around but he's due back today so,"

Rory noticed that her mother had a large, dopey grin on her face the moment she mentioned Luke.

"It must have been weird not having Luke around," commented Rory, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "I guess you missed him…"

Lorelai remained laying down and stared at her daughter, not saying a word.

"What did I say something?"

"Well…I have to talk to you about something." Rory sat down at the foot of her mother's bed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Shoot," she said.

"Um, Luke and I are…officially dating."

Rory's eyes widened. "Wow…that's….when did this happen?"

"I told you about the wedding and how we danced and the night of the inn's test run we…kissed."

"You kissed? Like…kiss, kiss?"

"Well it certainly was one hell of a kiss. Might have even been a kiss, kiss, kiss." Lorelai paused. "I wanted to tell you, obviously but…well, when I got back to the house things sort of escalated."

Rory groaned. "I'm a terrible person."

"No, Rory…you're not."

"Here you were having the best night, kissing Luke! Getting together with Luke and I ruined everything because I didn't have any self control whatsoever."

"Rory, sweetie, you did not ruin everything."

"I ruined that night for you,"

Lorelai grinned. "There will be plenty more kisses to be had."

"Not a first kiss," mumbled Rory.

"How about you stop beating yourself up, take a shower and we'll head to Luke's."

Rory sighed and stood up. "I shouldn't be allowed Luke's."

"Yes you should." said Lorelai following her daughter out of her bedroom. "Although you always were better at punishing yourself that I was,"

* * *

Forty minutes later, Lorelai and Rory were seated at the counter in Luke's. Lorelai was craning her neck to look into the kitchen to see if Luke was around but she pouted when she didn't see anyone.

"Maybe he's not coming back till later," said Rory, noting her mother's disappointment.

"Maybe," Lorelai sighed. "Hey Ceaser, can we have two very large coffees?"

"Make that two small coffees." said Luke, who had entered the diner from his apartment.

Lorelai sat up straighter, a smile appearing on her face. "You're here?"

"This is my diner," said Luke, although he was smiling also.

Rory looked between the two of them, feeling a bit uncomfortable. They continued to smile at each other and Rory was about to politely interrupt but the bell above the door did the job for her.

"Jess?" asked Luke, staring at the person who had walked in.

Rory spun around in her chair and looked at Jess who was standing at the entrance, a determined look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you,"

Rory glanced at her mother who was looking a little worried, but she nodded at Rory nonetheless. "Can we use your apartment, Luke?" asked Rory.

Luke nodded, looking more confused by the minute.

"What the hell is that all about?" asked Luke, once Rory and Jess disappeared behind the curtain.

"You have been gone a long time, buddy." said Lorelai. "Where do I begin? Well, the night we…well, the night of the test run, I went back to the house to find Rory and to get a few things when I found Rory and Jess together."

"Together…you mean they were hanging out?"

"Oh they were just about finished 'hanging out'."

"The little punk, I'll kill him…"

"Wait, I'm not finished," said Lorelai. "Rory then tells me that she and Jess had purchased an apartment and were now living together."

Luke looked stunned; it was almost comical, in Lorelai's opinion.

"Then, when Richard and Emily found out about it they threatened to stop paying for Yale."

"What? Rory can't drop out of Yale!"

"Your nephew seemed to think so too. He decided that Rory should move out, they got into a fight and now we're here and I'm still waiting for my coffee."

Luke moved to Lorelai's side of the counter and sat down. "I've been gone a long time."

Lorelai smiled at him and touched his shoulder lightly. "You have,"

"I can't believe they had sex. I could kill him for that."

"Rory is nineteen, Luke. I had sex a lot younger than that. She's officially an adult."

"Still, this is Rory! She's supposed to wait until…I don't know… marriage or something."

Lorelai giggled. "Alright, simmer down Sister Mary Katherine."

Luke sighed and stared at Lorelai. "How have you been?"

"I was pretty bad for awhile because Rory wasn't talking with me. But now I'm alright…I was just worried about her."

"You should have called me," he said, touching her leg lightly.

"I didn't want to bother you."

"You wouldn't have been bothering me."

Lorelai grinned. "Well, now I know that for the next time I have a crisis on my hands and you're not around."

Luke smirked. "Good."

They leaned into each other and their lips touched for just a moment before a cry was heard outside. Both Luke and Lorelai pulled apart to find Miss Patty staring at them through the window, a shocked look on her face.

"Uh-oh," said Lorelai, cringing. She watched as Miss Patty hurried off and she turned to face Luke who was shaking his head. "Welcome back?"

* * *

Rory and Jess walked up to Luke's apartment silently and remained silent when they stepped inside.

"So you went to your moms?" asked Jess after a few moments of just standing around.

Rory nodded and stepped closer to him. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"Snapped?" asked Jess, amused. "That was a little more than snapped."

"I know…I lost it. I don't even know why exactly . I knew everything you were saying was true but…I guess I didn't want to admit to myself that we made a mistake."

"We didn't make a mistake; it's just not the right time. It doesn't have to be all or nothing with us." said Jess. "We can still be together and not live together."

"What are you going to do with the apartment?" asked Rory.

"I think I'm going to keep it," said Jess. "That way I can be close to you when you're at Yale. You can even spend the night there a few nights…"

Rory grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, I will be definitely spending the night there. Are you going to be able to afford it on your own?"

"I think I can swing it. So, we're good?"

Rory kissed him lightly. "We're great. I'm sorry this didn't work out, though Jess."

"Me too. It was nice living with you."

"It was nice,"

"I guess it will be something we'll look forward to for the future."

Rory kissed him again, this time deepening the kiss. They pulled apart a few moments later and rested their foreheads against each others. "I can't wait,"

Jess smiled and kissed her again.

* * *

"I'm glad you finally got to see the place," said Rory as she, Jess, Luke and her mother helped move Rory's things to Lorelai's home.

Lorelai nodded and wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "It's nice,"

"You don't mean that,"

"I do. It's cute. I'm sure Jess will enjoy living here."

"Living here without me, you mean."

"The offer still stands," said Luke, looking at his nephew. "Your bed is still there. You're welcome to stay at the diner."

"Letting me work there weekends for extra cash is more than enough," said Jess, smiling slightly at his uncle. "Thanks,"

"It will be nice to have you in Stars Hollow again, even if it is just for the weekend." said Rory, walking towards Jess. "It's been lonely there without you."

"Yeah, and much less eventful." said Lorelai.

Rory glared at her mother slightly before taking Jess' hand in hers. "Is that all of it?" she asked.

"I think so," said Jess. "I'll walk you down to your car."

The two left, leaving Luke and Lorelai alone.

"Thanks for helping out, Luke." said Lorelai, walking towards him.

"It was no problem," said Luke, wrapping his arm around her. "You happy she's coming home?"

"Yeah, I am. I missed her being there. I just wish she was a little more enthused about it."

"She's nineteen. She was just told she couldn't live with her boyfriend. She's happy to be home, believe me; you just have to give her time."

"It was nice of you to let Jess work at the diner. That way Rory will spend her weekends in Stars Hollow because lord knows she's going to be here every chance she gets."

"Not every chance," said Luke, tightening his grip on her. "She still loves to hang out with you."

"Who me? The evil mom who made her move out of her sex pad?"

Luke cringed. "Lorelai…"

"Well it's true. If I were her, I would hate me too."

"This is Rory we're talking about. She could never hate you."

Lorelai sighed. "I guess so. I did the right thing, right?"

"Of course you did. Any mother would have done the same, and Rory is going to be very grateful you did this in the long run, too."

Lorelai smiled. "You always know what to say."

Luke grinned and leaned down to kiss her. They remained kissing for a few minutes until someone cleared their throat, causing them to break apart.

"Please, I need to live here." said Jess, standing in the doorway.

"Sorry," said Lorelai.

"The amount of times I walked in on you and Rory kissing in my apartment makes up for it,"

Jess smirked and clapped his uncle on the back. "I suppose you're right."

"Rory's in the car?" asked Lorelai.

"Yup, just waiting for you."

Lorelai nodded and patted Jess' shoulder. "Thanks again, Jess."

Jess gave Lorelai a half nod and watched as she and Luke left the apartment, leaving him by himself.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I know it took me awhile to update. This summer is a busy one. Work is completely killing me and for some bizarre reason, I've gained a social life outside of my computer. I know, I'm thinking of calling the newspapers to let them in on the scoop.


End file.
